The Cubs had, not one, but two games rained out Monday...

March 10, 1992|By Joey Reaves, Chicago Tribune.

MESA, ARIZ. — The Cubs had, not one, but two games rained out Monday, giving them more rainouts than games played so far this spring.

After being rained out against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, the Cubs arranged a Monday morning ``B game`` against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale to be followed by their regularly scheduled Cactus League match against the Giants at HoHoKam Park. Both were washed out by heavy rains.

Manager Jim Lefebvre looked restless in the clubhouse, but said the rare back-to-back rainouts would cause only minor inconvenience for the team.

Lefebvre did say his pitchers would be set back, but General Manager Larry Himes stepped in to help by scheduling a makeup game with the Milwaukee Brewers at home Friday afternoon before the regularly scheduled game against Oakland.

- Pitching coach Billy Connors had a dozen pitchers pull on their uniforms when the rain slackened and made each throw 13 to 15 minutes on the waterlogged bullpen mounds. The only complaints were from guys who wanted to throw even longer.

- Lefebvre said he would like to see the Cubs install indoor pitching mounds and covered batting cages at their spring training complex to avoid weather setbacks like the one they`re going through. ``Of course,`` he said, ``that`s how you stop the rain.``

- In the two games the Cubs have managed to get in, Ryne Sandberg has two stolen bases. Look for more of the same this spring and once the season begins. If Sandberg becomes an established threat to steal regularly, that sets up the hitter behind him-probably Mark Grace-to see more fastballs. ``The one thing that speed does is it almost dictates what pitch you`re going to get,`` Lefebvre says. ``We want to be able to use our speed as a positive, intelligent way of helping the offense rather than just a wide open thing.``